Senior SAP Release Manager

We're actively seeking a highly experienced and strategic Senior SAP Release Manager to join our dynamic IT team. The ideal candidate will possess a minimum of seven years of dedicated experience in SAP release management, demonstrating a proven track record of successfully overseeing the release lifecycle in complex SAP environments (S4 CRM7 C4). This senior-level position is critical to ensuring the stability, integrity, and efficiency of our SAP landscape through meticulous planning, coordination, and continuous process improvement.
The successful candidate will be a key driver in maturing our release management practices, with a strong emphasis on introducing and expanding automation to enhance speed and quality. This role requires a leader who can bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, ensuring smooth and predictable software delivery that aligns with our strategic objectives.
Responsibilities:
Develop and maintain the annual release plan in collaboration with build and operations teams to ensure alignment with business priorities and project roadmaps.
Continuously improve the release management process through close collaboration with relevant technology teams.
Review and approve change requests to ensure they meet the criteria for inclusion in upcoming releases.
Conduct regular sanity checks on the production environment to guarantee system stability.
Serve as the primary point of communication for all release-related matters, providing timely updates and managing stakeholder expectations across IT and the business.
Lead weekly release status meetings to track progress, mitigate risks, and resolve any issues impacting quality or schedule.
Provide guidance and training to project managers and team leads on release management processes and best practices.
Facilitate post-release retrospectives to identify lessons learned and drive continuous improvement.
Chair monthly Release Planning meetings to finalise the scope of upcoming major and minor releases.
Present key release metrics and project overviews to senior management during review meetings.
Drive the future of release management by championing process improvement and automation initiatives.
Champion the adoption of automation tools and technologies to reduce manual effort and increase efficiency in testing, transport management, and deployment.
Implement a data-driven approach to release readiness, utilising code quality and test coverage metrics to inform decision-making.
Requirements:
Proven expertise in the SAP ecosystem, with in-depth knowledge of core modules (S4 BW, SCM), SAP Solution Manager (ChaRM, focused build), and the SAP Transport Management System (STMS).
A minimum of 7 years of dedicated experience in SAP release management, with a proven track record of planning, scheduling, and controlling all phases of the release lifecycle.
Hands-on experience with third-party SAP automation tools (e. g., Rev-Trac, UiPath, Tricentis) is highly desirable.
Strong understanding of IT service management and development methodologies, including ITIL, DevOps, and Agile, and their practical application within an SAP environment.
Strategic mindset with the ability to develop and execute a long-term vision for release management that aligns with overarching business objectives.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage and build relationships with technical teams and senior business leaders.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a proven capacity to mitigate risks and resolve complex issues in a high-pressure environment.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple, parallel release tracks (e. g., major projects, minor enhancements, emergency fixes) and adapt to evolving priorities.
A demonstrable track record of successfully driving process improvement and automation initiatives that have resulted in measurable gains in efficiency and quality.

Experience
7-10 yrs